This is an evening ensemble made of black organza, designed by Hubert de Givenchy (1926-). It is composed of a bodice and a full-length skirt. The bodice has a V-neck opening on the front, with a wide collar made of 4 layers of frilled black organza. The sleeves are long and tight. The wide skirt is flounced at the waist. The waist is decorated with a wide sash. Two rows of flounces decorate the hem of the skirt, echoing the ruched collar of the bodice.

Hubert de Givenchy was born in France in 1926. After working for Jacques Fath and Elsa Schiaparelli, he opened his own business in 1952 and went on producing elegant clothes and high-style ball gowns and evening dresses. The 1970s saw the replacement of the rigid, triangular shape of the mini, by the long, svelte lines of the midi and maxi dresses. Society became increasingly multicultural and designers turned to non-Western clothing or traditional dress for inspiration. This stunning evening ensemble shows a sophisticated version of the gypsy dress from which Givenchy retained only the lines and discarded the typical embroideries and excessive use of colours.

This evening dress is of black sequinned lace with a gathered, bouffant silk faille overskirt with horizontal strips. It was designed by Givenchy in Paris in 1987 and illustrates his skill with luxurious fabrics.

lower part of sequinned lace bodice and upper part of eau de nil silk taffeta skirt embroidered with ruched ribbon and velvet ribbon

__________________ And I am nothing of a builder, but here I dreamt I was an architect And I built this balustrade to keep you home, to keep you safe from the outside world

looking at people like him, Audrey Hepburn, Oleg Cassini, Grace kelly and Jackie Kennedy makes me just so sad, because I realize that "perfection" and elegance is gone now style seems to be whatever is on MTV. Dont get me wrong people should wear what they want to wear. Its just that personally I would want people to dress more like they did at that time.

An early Hubert de Givenchy orientalist dinner gown, circa 1952, labelled and numbered 3328, comprising button fronted bodice, cut wide at the shoulders, the over-skirt with nipped in waist of beetle-wing black and green changeable silk, embroidered with panels of oriental inspired flowerheads, strapwork and seated musicians, mother of pearl discs and shell pieces in various sizes catch the light, heavy gilt metal strip raised strapwork, together with a black silk petticoat with integral stiffening and pleats to help support the weight of the outer skirt.

I've seen the Givenchy gowns at the V&A and they are absolutely stunning. No one looked more beautiful in his creations than dear Audrey. Oh how I miss elegant people like her and JAckie.
On another Givenchy note... I won a vintage Givenchy scarf which I'm awaiting for. My only wish is that Audrey had one exactly the same....

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" The trick in life is learning how to deal with it" - Dame Helen Mirren